Hive cover with built-in top entrance



Dec. 11, 1951 w. STULCE HIVE COVER WITH BUILT-IN TOP ENTRANCE Filed No'v. 12, 1947 William L Stu/ca INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED srATes PATENT OFFICE HIVE' COVER WITH BUILT-IN TOP ENTRANCE William I). Stulce, Harrison, Tenn. Application November 12, 1947, Serial No. 785,336

This inventionrelates to an improved beehive in which a novel cover, having a so-called top entrance makes it feasible to combine same with one or more underlying companion hives for adequately overwintering bees.

In recent years it has become the concensus of opinion of professional beemen that, to properly and successfully care for and overwinter bees, they should be suitably wintered in at least two full-sized conventionaltype hives stacked one on top of the other with a top entrance in the uppermost hive for satisfactory ventilation of both hives. At the present time, a'makeshift practice is to (1) cut a notch or (2) bore an entrance hole or two in the upper front wall of the top hive body.

In carrying out the principles of the instant invention, I construct a new type of a cover and incorporate therein, at the overhanging front end,

a suitable top entrance to permit the escape of moisture, make outdoor wintering satisfactory even in far north localities.

More specifically, I provide a simple and economical cover made up of main panels or slats which are assembled in spaced parallelism and fastened by underlying cross-pieces, the space between said panels being covered by a lidding panel, or closure, carrying an insert or filler, the latter fitting tightly into said space and terminating short of the front ends of said panels in such a way that, when the cover is fitted over the top of the hive body, a slot, it forms a reliable top ventilating entrance.

Stated with greater particularity, the aforementioned cover is possessed of additional novelty in that the forward cross-piece is fastened to the underside of the main panel transversely and is spaced. inwardly from adjacent forward ends of said panels, whereby when the crosspieces are fitted down over the hive body, the forward end of said panel, as well as the co-acting lid portion, project beyond the front wall of the body to provide a desired overhang.

Gther objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the follow l 1 Claim. (01. 6-4) Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view; showing stacked hives, the upper one with my novel ventilating entrance the section being on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectionat right angles to Figure 2, the view being taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the entire cover.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be seen that the bottom hivejwhich is conventional, is denoted by the numeral 6. As before stated, in overwintering bees, one hive is stacked on top of another, as shown in full and dotted lines in Figure 1, and the top hive, the one with the improved cover, is denoted by the numeral 1. This is an ordinary hive and the box or body has its front provided with a customary horizontal entrance slot 8, this at the bottom of the box. On the interior are the usual frames 9 (see Figs. 2 and 3), these having suspension members Ill whose projecting ends rest on the supporting ledges I I provided in the front and rear walls of said box.

The improved cover in which I am interested, is denoted, as a unit, by the numeral I2 and, as before stated, comprises a pair of duplicate rectangular slats or so-called panels I3 and M of wood, these being secured together by transverse cross-pieces or cleats, one at the rear at IS, the other at the front, as at It. The front crosspiece is arranged inwardly of the adjacent forward ends of said panel and the panels fastened in such a way that a longitudinal open-ended space exists between said edges. It is in this space that a lid or closure is removably fitted. Said closure comprises a third panel or slat I! which is of a length corresponding to the panels l3 and i4 and which has its beveled longitudinal edges !8 lapping over the top inner edge surfaces of said panels 13 and I4. Thus, the panel I! is superimposed upon the panels I 3 and I4 and it is provided on its bottom with an insert or fillerpiece i9 which corresponds in width to the space between the panels l3 and M and which, when in place, fills said space transversely. It will be noted that the insert I9 is shorter than the other parts l3, l4 and I1. Also, it is secured to the part I? in such a way that the rear ends are flush and the forward end 20 is spaced from the corresponding end of the panels l3 and [4. It is to be noted too that the terminal end 20 terminates inwardly of the fixed position of the front crosspiece 16. Thus, an elongated entrance slot 2| is suitably provided. That is to say, when the cover means I2 is fitted over the otherwise open top of the box or body I, the cross-pieces I5 and 16 fit frictionally over the box and the co-acting members thereof define the ventilating and entrance slot 2|. Also, and as before stated, the portions of the parts I3, l4 and I! which project beyond the cross-piece l 6, form a short shed or overhang which projects beyond the front of the body for protection purposes.

Although the invention is shown and described as directed to a cover made of parts of wood, it is understood that other materials might be used. As a matter of fact, it may be within the purview of the invention to stamp out a one-piece sheet metal or equivalent cover having the overhang and entrance slot features.

A careful consideration of the foregoing de scription in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a beehive construction of the class shown and described, a cover for a beehive comprising a pair of duplicate rectangular panels disposed in a plane with one another and having inner adj acent longitudinal edges parallel and spaced apart,

third rectangular panel superimposed upon top surfaces of said first-named panels and bridging and covering the space between the opposed inner edges of said first-named panels and coacting therewith in defining an open ended channelway, forward and rearward crosspieces fastened to undersides of said first-named panels and serving to connect the latter in assembled relationship, the rearward crosspiece being flush with corresponding rear ends of all three panels, the forward crosspiece being spaced inwardly from corresponding forward ends of all three panels and underlying the forward end portion of the thirdnamed panel in spaced relation and forming, in conjunction therewith, a combined ventilating and entrance opening, and a rectangular insert situated in said channelway and having one end interposed between said rearward crosspiece and underlying said third panel and having its forward end spaced rearwardly from said forward crosspiece.

WILLIAM L. STULCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Powell May 30, 1933 

